KPBS reports that an alternative licensing program in California brings in 50%-100% more ethnic minority teaching candidates than do traditional programs. This is just one more reason (and a significant one) to opening the doors to alternative licensing for teaching.
Of course the question is always whether or not alternative programs can ensure that teachers are quality teachers, but given the success rate of traditional programs, this is worth a try.
The evidence suggests that having minority teachers teaching minority students can provide an increase in student attitudes toward learning. This is an important avenue for improving both the percentages of minority teachers as well as the overall pool of qualified teacher candidates.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
What 2012-13 budgets will bring?
As we head into the new year, it appears that many states will be cutting education budgets again. In Colorado, the projection is about a 3% cut, which brings the total cut to about 18% over the past five years.
Since charter schools already have to spend about 15% or more on facilities rental or bond payments that aren't paid for by districts (at least not through district per pupil funding), This means that charter schools now only can spend about 65% of what they should have on programs for kids.
I'm not sure how they continue to educate kids. Some will argue that they don't, but there are certainly some that do a great job, even though others are mediocre. However, the fact is that charter schools now cost the state of Colorado far less than district schools in most cases.
I'd love to hear how your school makes it in this difficult times. What have you cut? How have you found extra revenue?
Since charter schools already have to spend about 15% or more on facilities rental or bond payments that aren't paid for by districts (at least not through district per pupil funding), This means that charter schools now only can spend about 65% of what they should have on programs for kids.
I'm not sure how they continue to educate kids. Some will argue that they don't, but there are certainly some that do a great job, even though others are mediocre. However, the fact is that charter schools now cost the state of Colorado far less than district schools in most cases.
I'd love to hear how your school makes it in this difficult times. What have you cut? How have you found extra revenue?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Strategic Planning #8: Implementing the Plan
When you move from planner to implementer, you have to make the plan the guiding factor in all school operations. Decisions must be made in relation to the plan. This means that you have to communicate the plan to stakeholders. When in the middle of tough financial decisions, you have to go back to the plan and trust that everyone is being guided by the plan. The administrator has to ensure that people are familiar enough with th plan to minimize confusion about goals and strategies.
Educational practices must follow the plan, and teachers need to make sure they abide by the plan. It's only if you follow the plan that you'll know whether or not the plan is successful. Wouldn't you hate to get to the end of a couple of years and not know whether low math scores were the result of a bad plan or non-conformance with the planned math program?
Because of this, all priorities must be guided by the plan. If you have to choose between teacher candidates, you have to make the decision based on how those candidates will work within the plan. If you have to choose between desired curriculum supplements, you have to choose based on the plan.
You then have to measure based on the plan. I've written other blogs on creating a measurement system that I compared to a GPS. You have to measure according to where you thought you would be and if you aren't there, you need to know why. You need to know if the plan is working and is just behind. If you are ahead of plan, you want to know what made you so successful. Was it dumb luck? Does your teaching strategy work better than you thought it would? Did you hire better teachers than you thought you could? What is the reason, not just are you better or worse than planned.
You need to know the reasons because you need to be able to rethink and revise the plan. In order to do that, you have to know what to revise. You don't want to have to guess.
Implementation is the most difficult part of the process because you have to get beyond your great ideas and actually make them reality. Each step of the strategy has to be outlined and followed. Tracking the plan is not easy, but it's the most important part.
Need help with your plan?
Educational practices must follow the plan, and teachers need to make sure they abide by the plan. It's only if you follow the plan that you'll know whether or not the plan is successful. Wouldn't you hate to get to the end of a couple of years and not know whether low math scores were the result of a bad plan or non-conformance with the planned math program?
Because of this, all priorities must be guided by the plan. If you have to choose between teacher candidates, you have to make the decision based on how those candidates will work within the plan. If you have to choose between desired curriculum supplements, you have to choose based on the plan.
You then have to measure based on the plan. I've written other blogs on creating a measurement system that I compared to a GPS. You have to measure according to where you thought you would be and if you aren't there, you need to know why. You need to know if the plan is working and is just behind. If you are ahead of plan, you want to know what made you so successful. Was it dumb luck? Does your teaching strategy work better than you thought it would? Did you hire better teachers than you thought you could? What is the reason, not just are you better or worse than planned.
You need to know the reasons because you need to be able to rethink and revise the plan. In order to do that, you have to know what to revise. You don't want to have to guess.
Implementation is the most difficult part of the process because you have to get beyond your great ideas and actually make them reality. Each step of the strategy has to be outlined and followed. Tracking the plan is not easy, but it's the most important part.
Need help with your plan?
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Diane Ravitch is wrong!
A few days ago I wrote a blog about an article in which Diane Ravitch is right. Just finishing reading twitter feeds, I found that all of the tweets that Ravitch writes are about negative events in the charter school world. She is anti-charter school. Unless you think that eliminating all charter schools would improve education for children, then she isn't pro-kid. She is clearly more anti-charter school than anything.
Here is why she is wrong. First, there are great charter schools and they are not the ones that are the same as traditional public schools. Second, there are charter schools that meet the needs of kids who are different and want a different type of education than many public school districts are able or willing to provide. Third, there are charter schools that are truly experimental and have been successfully educated children.
In addition, there are huge questions still about what content is important as method. There are things that kids need that are not measured by standardized testing and many charter schools deliver those things such as increased discipline, self respect and the value of perseverance. In many cases, even if a charter school isn't showing better test scores than local schools, the school provides other character attributes that may have a higher correspondence to long term success than the short term measures of increased test scores.
It's not clear at all to me that Ravitch or any other education expert (including charter school leaders) know exactly what students must learn in school to be successful. While she may be right about certain individual charter schools, Diane Ravitch is wrong about charter schools.
Here is why she is wrong. First, there are great charter schools and they are not the ones that are the same as traditional public schools. Second, there are charter schools that meet the needs of kids who are different and want a different type of education than many public school districts are able or willing to provide. Third, there are charter schools that are truly experimental and have been successfully educated children.
In addition, there are huge questions still about what content is important as method. There are things that kids need that are not measured by standardized testing and many charter schools deliver those things such as increased discipline, self respect and the value of perseverance. In many cases, even if a charter school isn't showing better test scores than local schools, the school provides other character attributes that may have a higher correspondence to long term success than the short term measures of increased test scores.
It's not clear at all to me that Ravitch or any other education expert (including charter school leaders) know exactly what students must learn in school to be successful. While she may be right about certain individual charter schools, Diane Ravitch is wrong about charter schools.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Diane Ravitch is right!
You never thought I'd say that. Did you? Well, in a blog republished on the Washington Post's "The Answer Sheet," Ravitch cites three charter schools, highly touted by President Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, that may not be all that they claim.
I won't go through the names of the schools or her argument here. You can read it for yourself. Her point is that these schools boast statistics such as 100% acceptance into college while their students perform poorly on state tests.
She has a good point. For example, 100% acceptance into college is a great measure. It shows determination on the part of the students as well as confidence that they can go to college. Given the demographics of the schools Ravitch uses as examples, it's likely that a large number of these students are the first in their family to go to college. However, Ravitch points out that these students may not be ready for college and they are unlikely to succeed. So, why tout these schools when there are other high performing traditional public schools?
Charter school leaders can't brush off Ravitch on this one. Sure, these are only three examples. It may be that this isn't the fault of charter schools. It may be that these political leaders simply chose the wrong examples to use in their speeches. It may be that there are other schools in the same cities which would have been better examples. Denver boasts other schools besides the one mentioned by Ravitch that have had good success.
In addition, it does seem that sending 100% of students to college is a good thing, even if the students are not college ready according to tests. Why?
First, assuming that the schools have prepared the students mentally for college, the students may have the initiative to improve while in college. They may have to work harder and take remedial courses, but they may have the perseverance and determination to work through the difficulties. An interesting research project would be to see where these students are in four years compared to their peers.
Second, even if these students do not finish college, they will be exposed to college and have that as a goal. They may return later. They also may be able to pass on to their children what it takes to go to college. Students who do not go to college may not have these opportunties.
So, even though I believe that Ravitch's points may be overstated. She is still right. Politicians and charter school leaders must be careful in how they promote charter schools. Ravitch is also right that there are no "silver bullets." Many charter schools know the frustration of not making the progress that they'd like to. Some charter schools know the disappointment of being closed.
Ravitch is right that charter schools are not a silver bullet. However, that is a reason to make charter schools be honest about their results and to cause all of us to think about the real role of charter schools. It's not a reason to oppose all charter schools or to ignore those that are truly successful. There are many charter schools that are not corporate charter schools. There are corporate charter schools that are succeeding. All of us have to be honest and ensure that we are all seeking the good of students, not our own interests whether they be teacher unions, charter school management companies, or politicians.
I won't go through the names of the schools or her argument here. You can read it for yourself. Her point is that these schools boast statistics such as 100% acceptance into college while their students perform poorly on state tests.
She has a good point. For example, 100% acceptance into college is a great measure. It shows determination on the part of the students as well as confidence that they can go to college. Given the demographics of the schools Ravitch uses as examples, it's likely that a large number of these students are the first in their family to go to college. However, Ravitch points out that these students may not be ready for college and they are unlikely to succeed. So, why tout these schools when there are other high performing traditional public schools?
Charter school leaders can't brush off Ravitch on this one. Sure, these are only three examples. It may be that this isn't the fault of charter schools. It may be that these political leaders simply chose the wrong examples to use in their speeches. It may be that there are other schools in the same cities which would have been better examples. Denver boasts other schools besides the one mentioned by Ravitch that have had good success.
In addition, it does seem that sending 100% of students to college is a good thing, even if the students are not college ready according to tests. Why?
First, assuming that the schools have prepared the students mentally for college, the students may have the initiative to improve while in college. They may have to work harder and take remedial courses, but they may have the perseverance and determination to work through the difficulties. An interesting research project would be to see where these students are in four years compared to their peers.
Second, even if these students do not finish college, they will be exposed to college and have that as a goal. They may return later. They also may be able to pass on to their children what it takes to go to college. Students who do not go to college may not have these opportunties.
So, even though I believe that Ravitch's points may be overstated. She is still right. Politicians and charter school leaders must be careful in how they promote charter schools. Ravitch is also right that there are no "silver bullets." Many charter schools know the frustration of not making the progress that they'd like to. Some charter schools know the disappointment of being closed.
Ravitch is right that charter schools are not a silver bullet. However, that is a reason to make charter schools be honest about their results and to cause all of us to think about the real role of charter schools. It's not a reason to oppose all charter schools or to ignore those that are truly successful. There are many charter schools that are not corporate charter schools. There are corporate charter schools that are succeeding. All of us have to be honest and ensure that we are all seeking the good of students, not our own interests whether they be teacher unions, charter school management companies, or politicians.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Charter School Strategic Planning #7 - Mapping Objectives and Tactics
It's relatively easy to set a bold mission for a school. It's another to accomplish that mission. According to much of the research, many charter schools are not accomplishing their mission.
The real key to a strategic plan is ensuring that you develop the means to accomplish the goals that you set. To do that you have to map out a list of tasks that your teachers and administration will do to accomplish your goals. If you have a goal to improve students' reading scores by a grade level on average, then you have to adopt a method to do that. You have to make sure that someone is responsible for that happening, and you have to monitor those tasks to make sure the tasks are being done as well as that the results are being achieved.
In the planning process, I use a map to visually outline who, how and when that will happen. Using the example of reading scores, I would define who is responsible for developing and implementing the strategy to improve reading scores. I would also ensure that strategy for improving reading scores is in writing and which other staff members will be involved. For example, I would want to know if regular classroom teachers will be implementing the strategies or if there will be pull out sessions with a reading specialist. I would want to know how often assessments would be done and what time frame is realistic to expect measurable results. All of that should be on some kind of a map that anyone can read. This isn't a report. It isn't long. It isn't something that can be used to obscure the facts. I often create a simple matrix with boxes that allow for no more than a sentence or two. That way a board can monitor progress without having a report at every board meeting. The principal may want more detail in monitoring the plan, but for the purposes of the strategic plan, the board does not need every detail.
The Who, How and When format should be defined for achieving every goal. It may be that a goal has multiple means of being achieved. For each of those strategies, you must define Who, How and When.
Accountability is important, not for punishing those who fail, but to monitor progress in order to determine if strategies are working. If they are not, then something has to change. Perhaps the person is the problem, then the person has to be changed. Perhaps the method isn't working. Perhaps the timeline is off. If things go well, you may achieve your goal ahead of time and will want to set new goals, focus on others, or develop a new method for maintaining your achievements.
The development of strategies and tactics for achieving goals is the most difficult and yet the most important part of a strategic plan because its the part of the plan that you monitor to ensure that you accomplish your mission.
The real key to a strategic plan is ensuring that you develop the means to accomplish the goals that you set. To do that you have to map out a list of tasks that your teachers and administration will do to accomplish your goals. If you have a goal to improve students' reading scores by a grade level on average, then you have to adopt a method to do that. You have to make sure that someone is responsible for that happening, and you have to monitor those tasks to make sure the tasks are being done as well as that the results are being achieved.
In the planning process, I use a map to visually outline who, how and when that will happen. Using the example of reading scores, I would define who is responsible for developing and implementing the strategy to improve reading scores. I would also ensure that strategy for improving reading scores is in writing and which other staff members will be involved. For example, I would want to know if regular classroom teachers will be implementing the strategies or if there will be pull out sessions with a reading specialist. I would want to know how often assessments would be done and what time frame is realistic to expect measurable results. All of that should be on some kind of a map that anyone can read. This isn't a report. It isn't long. It isn't something that can be used to obscure the facts. I often create a simple matrix with boxes that allow for no more than a sentence or two. That way a board can monitor progress without having a report at every board meeting. The principal may want more detail in monitoring the plan, but for the purposes of the strategic plan, the board does not need every detail.
The Who, How and When format should be defined for achieving every goal. It may be that a goal has multiple means of being achieved. For each of those strategies, you must define Who, How and When.
Accountability is important, not for punishing those who fail, but to monitor progress in order to determine if strategies are working. If they are not, then something has to change. Perhaps the person is the problem, then the person has to be changed. Perhaps the method isn't working. Perhaps the timeline is off. If things go well, you may achieve your goal ahead of time and will want to set new goals, focus on others, or develop a new method for maintaining your achievements.
The development of strategies and tactics for achieving goals is the most difficult and yet the most important part of a strategic plan because its the part of the plan that you monitor to ensure that you accomplish your mission.
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